Closure gates for vending machines



Dec. 2, 1958 H. B. STONER ET AL CLOSURE GATES FOR VENDING MACHINES- Filed Sept. 50, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheetv 1 Harry B. Storuzr Edwin Parre Flor an A Walter 25 W Dec. 2,, 1958 H. B. STONER ET AL 2,852,643

CLOSURE GATES FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Sept. 50. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors Hawy B- Stoner Ed wuz Parre Florian A. Walter Dec. 2, 1958 H. B. STONER' ET AL 2,862,643

CLOSURE GATES FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Sept. 30, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ".llpllpl".

2,862,643 r CLOSURE GATES FOR VENDING MACHINES Harry B. StouerfEdwin Parre, and Florian A. Walter, Aurora, 111., assignors to Stoner Mfg. Corp, Aurora, IlL, a corporation of Illinois Application September 30, 1954, Serial No. 459,251 6 Claims. l. 221-248) The invention relates to improvements in merchandise vending machines and more particularly to novel anticheat means for a coin-controlled merchandise .vending machine of the kind having vertically arranged stacks of merchandise (such as for example, packages of cigarettes) adapted to be selectively vended upon selective operation of coin-controlled manually actuated means.

The present invention is concerned with novel means to prevent improper or fraudulent vending of merchandise by reason of Wrongful manipulation of the manually actuated means and mishandling of the machine, such as by tilting, rocking, striking or otherwise jarring the same. it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a vending machine of the kind referred to with novel anticheat means.

The machine disclosed in the accompanying drawings is provided with novel movable closures or gates for the vending openings of the merchandise racks and-it is another object of the invention to provide such closures or gates.

The manually actuated coin-controlled merchandise vending machine disclosed in this application is more particularly disclosed and claimed in the companion application of Harry B. Stoner, filed May 7, 1954, Serial No. 428,293. The machine is provided with closures for the vending openings in the merchandise racks. These closures or gates are movable into open and shut positions and include novel means operably associated with the manually actuable vending mechanisms so as to cause said gates to move from their open positions into their closed positions and then back to their open positions during machine operation and it is another object of the invention to provide such means.

Another object is to provide, in a merchandise vending machine, novel ruggedly constructed manually controlled closures for the merchandise vending openings in the merchandise racks.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of our invention, we have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, our invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated. v

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawins nited States Patent 2,862,643 Patented Dec. 2, 1958 Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the right-hand end of d the vending machine taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1, so as to omit the coin-controlled mechanism and housing.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the left-hand end of the vending machine as illustrated in Fig. 1, omitting the housing.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially along line 44 of Fig. 1, but showing the upper portion of the machine in elevation.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal detail sectional view, taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view, taken substantially on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on line 7--7 of Fig. 3.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, the merchandise vending machine disclosed therein for purposes of illustration, includes a plurality of upright merchandise rack units generally indicated at 11, 12, and 13. The rack unit 11, at the right-hand end of Fig. 1, includes four individual merchandise racks 14, while the rack 12 at the front left-hand end of Fig. 1 includes three single merchandise racks 15, and the rack unit 13 may include three single racks. The rack unit 13 is located in the rear of the rack unit 12 and because it does not enter into combination with the present invention, no further reference will be made to it. Obviously more or fewer rack units 11 annd 12 may be incorporated in a single machine and more or fewer merchandise racks 14 and 15 may be included in each rack unit. *It should be evident, therefore, that the number of rack units and racks selected for convenience of illustration is not restrictive.

The vending machine illustrated is designed to dispense packages of cigarettes stacked in racks .14 and 15. Because these rack units per se do not constitute a part of the present invention, it is not believed necessary to enter into a detailed discussion of their specific structure and mounting, such details being fully disclosed and described in the Stoner application aforesaid.

In operation of the vending machine disclosed herein, a customer will deposit a coin or coins of the required denomination in a slot provided for their reception in the machine, which coin or coins are delivered to a coincontrolled mechanism generally indicated at 16 (Fig. 1). It is common in most vending machines of this character to provide manually engageable reciprocal plungers 17, one associated with each rack 14 or. 15, which are adapted to be selectively actuated to cause the machine to vend the desired merchandise. The present application is, however, primarily concerned with novel anti-cheat means to prevent fraudulent dispensing of marchandise from the merchandise racks, consequently, the manually engageable reciprocal plunger mechanisms and associated parts will be discussed herein only in sufficient detail as is required to permit an understanding of the operation and function of the anti-cheat means.

It should be sufficient to note that when a selected plunger 17 is pulled outwardly, assuming the coincontrolled mechanism 16 has been conditioned to permit such operation, a related slide mechanism generally indicated at 18 is likewise moved toward the front of the machine so as to withdraw an ejector plate 19 carried thereon out from beneath the stack of articles of merchandise 21 in its related rack. Because the plungerslide mechanism-ejector plate assembly for each rack is {a identical, only one will be'described, it being understood that like numerals will apply to each.

As illustrated in Fig. 4," the ejector plate 19 normally provides a floor for the articles of merchandise 21.

When the ejector plate 19 is withdrawn 'uponmanipula- 'tion'of its related plunger 17, the stack of merchandise 'wall of the rack, from where it falls into a chute (not shown) for delivery to the customer.

The vending mechanism assembly, that is: the'rack units, the plungers and their slide mechanisms and ejector plates, as well as associated mechanism to be described presently, is enclosed within a casing or housing of any conventional construction and inasmuch as this casing forms no part of the present invention, its details of construction are of no'importance to the present disclosure and it has, therefore, been omitted from the drawing.

The vending mechanism assembly includes a base structure or chassis, generally indicated at-23. Upon referring to Figs. l and 4, it will be noted that the chassis 23 is fabricated from sheet metal stock and is substantially rectangular in shape. It includes a front wall 24 and a top wall 25 extending rearwardly from the front wall 24 and terminating short of the back of the chassis in a downwardly extending wall portion 26. The end walls 27 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) of said chassis extend upwardly and terminate above the plane of the top wall 25. These end walls are bridged in the back by a back wall 28. The chassis 23 and the back wall 28 support means upon which the rack units 11, 12, and 13 are mounted and because the specific manner in which said racks are mounted is-not pertinent to the instant application, the specific mounting is not disclosed or discussed herein in detail.

Each of the rack units 11 and 12 include a back wall 29 which terminates short of the plane of the ejector plate 18 to define, in part, the vending opening generally indicated at 22. to be successively opened, closed and reopened during operation of the plunger-ejector mechanisms 17-19, but

It is this opening 22 which is adapted before entering into a detailed discussion of such closure means and the manner of operation, it is necessary to discuss briefly the structure and operation of one plunger- -ejector mechanism and the associated linkage common to all such mechanisms, which linkage operatively connects the closure means with the plunger-ejector mechanisms.

The plunger 17 of a plunger-ejector plate mechanism extends through an opening in the front wall 24 of the structures, best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, that are operatively connected to the closure means to be described presently. The plunger-slidable assembly mechanism is also operatively connected to the coin-controlled mechanism 16 in such manner that a plunger can be withdrawn for vendingmerchandise only after the coin-controlled mechanism has been unlocked by the presence of a coin or coins therein. 7

' The slidable vending mechanism 18 includes side walls 31 that lie on either side of the plunger 17. These side walls 31 each have a downwardly extending portion 32 adjacent their rearmost, or innermost, ends apertured to receive a' pivot 33 journaling a latch 34 thereon. The

latch 34 normally rests in the position shown in Fig. 4 with the end adjacent the pivot 33 in abutment with a wear plate 35 mounted on the inside face of the depending wall 26 of the chassis 23. Upon initial outward movement of the plunger 17, the latch 34 is carried away from its abutment with the plate 35 whereupon a tail portion 36 on said latch engages a track 37 which swings the latch in a clockwise direction so as to engage its free end portion 38 around a longitudinally extending rod 39. The rod 39 is co-extensive with the chassis. 23 and its ends are journaled freely in slots 41 formed in the chassis end walls 27. The rod 39 carries adjacent each end, inwardly of each wall 27, a pinion 42 (only one shown) which is always in mesh with a related rack 43 secured firmly to the inside face of the related end wall 27 in any suitable manner.

The gear-rack arrangement insures uniform rolling movement of the rod 39 along its slots 41 during reciprocal movement of the plunger 17. Such movement is imparted to the rod 39, during outward movement of the plunger 17, by abutment with said rod by the depending end portions 32 on the side walls 31 of the slide mechanism 18. When the plunger is returned to its initial position, the latch 34, engaged with the rod 39, will carry said rod back to its initial position andthen disengage itself from said rod upon movement of its tail portion 36 off of the traclc37 and abutment with the plate 35.

It should be quite obvious at this time that when any one of the plungers 17 is pulled outwardly and then returned to its initial position, the corresponding ejector plate 19 is first withdrawn from beneath the stack of merchandise in its related rack, thus allowing the stack to drop to locate the lowermost article of merchandise in the path' of the ejector plate 19 so that it is ejected through the vending opening 22. At the same time, the rod 39 is carried from its rearmost position illustrated in Fig. 4, to the forward extremity of the slots 41 and then returned to its initial position. This rod 39 constitutes the operative connection between any one of the plungers 17 and the closures for the vending opening 22, which closures and their mountingand operation will now be described.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 4, a hingedly mounted 44 extends between the chassis side walls 27 and is po -extensive with the length "of said chassis. The gate 44 is fabricated from sheet stock and it includes a main wall portion 45 having its end margins folded over to define end Walls 46 each of which is pivotally secured as at to the related chassis end wall 27. The gate 44 normally is held in the angularly disposed position illustrated Fig. 4. During a vending operation, the gate 44 swings downwardly, through the operation of mechanism to be described presently, into the substantially vertical position illustrated in broken lines and then upwardly rearwardly back to its normal position. When in its substantially vertical position, the lower end thereof constitutes an extension of the back wall 29 of therack units 11 and 12. This extension closes the back face of the cut-away opening 22 to prevent any of the merchandise 21 from beingfraudulently moved rearwardly for delivery to the customer.

A second gate or movable floor plate 48 is also mounted in close association with the vending opening 22 so as to cooperate with the gate 44 to prevent fraudulent vending. This second gate, which is perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 4, consists of a rectangular plate extending substantially the entire length of the'chassis 23. The gate 48 has a hinge 49 mounted adjacent each of its ends so as to pivotally secure it to the chassis back wall portion 26. As shown, the gate 48 may be moved from the full line position illustrated in Fig. 4, into substantially the broken line illustration. When in the latter position, it, together with the gate 44, closes the vending opening 22. Movement of the gate 48 into the two positions noted is obtained through a linkage connection with the slide rod 39.

Movement of the gate 44 into its two positions likewise is obtained through a linkage connection with the rod 39. It will thus be apparent that the gates are movable in unison with movement of the rod 39 which is carried along its slots 41 duringthe withdrawal and return of the vending mechanism. This linkage structure will now be described.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, the ends of the rod 39 extend outwardly beyond the outside faces of the chassis end walls 27. A portion of the rod extending to the outside of the right-hand end of the chassis, as illustrated in Fig. 2, has freely journaled thereon one end of a link 51, whereas the projecting end of the rod on the left-hand side of the chassis (Fig. 3) has a link 52 connected therewith. These links extend rearwardly along the outside faces of the respective chassis end walls 27 and each carries, adjacent its rearmost end, a pin 53 that projects through a horizontal slot 54 in the related chassis wall 27. When the rod 39 is carried forwardly along its slots 41, the links 51 and 52 move therewith, thus carrying the pins 53 forwardly along their slots 54. Referring now to Figs. 4 and 7, it will be noted that there is provided on the inside face of each of the end walls 27, an arm 55; (only one shown) which arms are pivotally mounted at 56 to the respective walls. These arms normally rest in the downwardly inclined position shown in Fig. 4, and they have an offset bottom surface 57 that lies in the path of the respective pins 53. Thefree end of each arm 55 is provided with a head having a recessed arcuate surface 58 struck on an are having the pivot 56 as its center. This surface rides on a fixed stud or roller 59 secured to the inside face of the end wall 27, which stud defines the limit of movement for the arm 55. As illustrated, movement of the arms 55 from the downwardly inclined full line position, into the substantially horizontal broken line position, also illustrated in Fig. 4, is effected each time the pins 53 move forwardly along their slots 54; such movement causing said pins to ride along the offset surfaces 57 of said arms to move them into their elevated positions.

The arms 55 constitute an operative connection between the gate 48-and the rod 39 and links 5l-52. As has been shown in Fig. 4, the gate 48 has end walls 61 (one shown) each provided with a slot 62 which receives a pin 63 projecting from one face of the related arm 55. When the arms 55 are moved from their full line positions upwardly, the pins 63 travel the length of the engaged slots 62, thus raising the gate 48 into its broken line or vending opening closing position. When the plunger actuated transverse rod 39 returns to its initial position carrying with it the links 5l52, the pins 53 move out from beneath the arms 55, thus permitting them to return to their initial full line positions, carrying the gate downwardly therewith. A

Each of the links 51 and 52 illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 carry a pin 63a which has slidably fitted thereover the bifurcated lower-end of a related substantially vertical link 64. Each of these links is pivotally secured adjacent its upper end, as at 65, to the related side wall 27 and each of said links (Fig. 2) has a pin 66 projecting outwardly therefrom adjacent its pivoted end to which is anchored one end of a spring 67, the other end of which is secured to a stud 68 carried by the related end wall 27. These springs tend to normally return the links 64 and the parts associated therewith into their normal rest positions illustrated.

Each link 64 has pivotally mounted thereon, as at 69, an arm '71 which extends rearwardly therefrom along the outside face. of the related chassis end wall 27. The free end of each of the arms 71 has a pin 72 extending inwardly therefrom to operate in 'a related substantially horizontal slot 73 in the corresponding end wall 27. This is perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 5 As there shown, the pin 72 is anchored in a slot 74 (Fig. 4) provided in the related end wall 46 of the gate 44. This structure is such 6 that when the'links 64 are moved forwardly i'n conjunc tion with movement of the rod 3%, the arms '71 likewise are shifted forwardly to carry their pins 72 forwardly along their related slots 73. This movement results in rocking of the gate 44 from the full line position illustrated in Fig; 4 into the broken line position there illustrated. Thus, the gate 44 cooperates with and moves in merchandise 21 ahead of it.

conjunction with the gate 48 to provide a complete closure for the vending opening 22 when the vending mechanism is fully withdrawn. The vending opening 22 will remain closed until return movement of the vending mechanism begins and said gates will then moveinto their full line open positions simultaneously with the return of the ejector plate 1? which is at this time pushing a package of It is believed that the foregoing is sufiicient to fully escribe the operation of the vending mechanism and the closure gates associated therewith and that further description of other details of the vending mechanism 17- 18 is not necessary to the present disclosure inasmuch as said mechanism constitutes the subject matter of a companion application Serial No. 428,293, filed May 7, 1954.

It is believed that our invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages, should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of our invention'as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a merchandise vending machine, a chassis ineluding side walls and a top wall, an upstanding merchandise rack on said chassis, said rack having an open bottom partially closed by said top wall, a back wall on said rack terminatnig above the plane of. the chassis top wall so as to provide with the open bottom portion a vending opening, a reciprocal merchandise ejector plate in said rack supporting merchandise therein, manual reciprocal means operably connected to the ejector plate operable to move said plate out from beneath the merchandise and to then push the lowermost piece of merchandise through said vending opening, normally open closure gates one for the bottom opening and the other for the back wall opening, a rod mounted in said chassis and slidable in slots in its side walls, means on the manually reciprocal means to engage therod to move the rod therewith, links one journalled on each end of said rod outside the side walls, arms pivotally mounted at one of their ends one to the outside face of each side wall and connected at their other ends one to'each link so as to be movable upon movement of the rod, operating cams for one of said closure gates, means operably connecting said cams to said arms, and means operably connecting the other gate to said arms so that both of said gates move into positions to close the related openings when the reciprocal means is moved in one direction and returned to their open positions when the reciprocal means is returned to its initial position.

2. In a merchandise vending machine, a chassis including side walls and a top wall, an upstanding merchandise rack on said chassis, said rack having an open bottom partially closed by said top wall, a back wall on said rack terminating above the plane of the chassis top wall so as to provide withthe open bottom portion a vending opening, a reciprocal merchandise ejector plate in said rack supporting merchandise therein, manual reciprocal means operably connected to the ejector plate operable to move said plate out from beneath the merchandise and to then push the lowermost piece of merchandise through said vending opening, normally open closure gates one for the bottom opening and the other for the back wall opening, a rod movably mounted in a, 5 Said chassis means on the manually reciprocal means to engage the rod to move the rod therewith, links one journalled on each end of said rod, arms pivotally mounted at one of their ends one on each side wall and connected at their other ends one to each link so as to be moved upon movement of the rod, operating cams for one of said closure gates, means operably connecting said cams to said arms, and means operably connecting the other gate to said arms so that both of said gates move into positions to close the related openings when the reciprocal means is moved in one direction and return to their open positions when the reciprocal means is returned to its initial position.

3. In a merchandise vending machine, a chassis including upstanding side walls, an upstanding merchandise rack on said chassis, said rack having an opening in its bottom, a back wall on said rack terminating above the top surface of the chassis so as to provide with the bottom opening a vending opening, .a reciprocal merchandise ejector plate in said rack supporting merchandise therein, reciprocal means operably connected with the ejector plate operable to move said plate out from beneath the merchandise and to then push the lowermost piece of merchandise through said vending opening, normally open closure gates one for the bottom opening and the other for the back wall opening, said gates being arranged substantially at right angles to each other, a rod slidably mounted in said chassis, means on the reciprocal means to engage the rod to move the rod therewith, links one journalled on each end of said rod, arms pivotally mounted at one of their ends one on each side wall and connected at their other ends one to each link so as to be moved upon movement of the rod, operating cams for one of said closure gates, means operably conmeeting said cams to said arms, and means operably connecting the other gate to said arms so that both of said gates move into positions to close the related openings when the reciprocal means is moved in one direction and return to their open positions when the reciprocal means is returned to its initial position.

4. A merchandise vending machine comprising a vertical elongated container means adapted to contain in vertically stacked relation a plurality of merchandise units each having a substantially uniform predetermined dimension measured in the vertical direction when the units are in said stacked relation, said container means having an approximately horizontal bottom and an approximately vertical wall, an ejector means, means mounting said ejector means for reciprocal movement in an approximately horizontal path above and adjacent said bottom and in a direction toward and away from said wall, said bottom having a first opening therethrough extending in an approximately horizontal plane, said first opening being in all directions larger than said predetermined dimension of said merchandise units whereby the latter might pass through said first opening should the machine be jostled or tilted, said Wall having a second opening therethrough extending in an approximately vertical plane, said first and second openings being in communication with each other and beingcontinuous with each other so as to constitute a single discharge outlet for said merchandise units, a first gate, means movably mounting said first gate for alternate movement between a closed horizontal position in the plane of said first opening and an open position spaced last-recited plane, a second gate, means movably second gate for alternate movement between a closed vertical position in the plane of said second opening and an open position spaced from said last-recited plane, and means connecting said ejector means and said gates or m ving the latter to their respective closed pos' s res onse to movement of the ejector means in a direction at from said wall so as to prevent passage of said units through either or" said openings should the be jostled or tilted and for moving said gates to their respective open positions in response to movement or" said ejector means toward said Wall.

5. A vending machine as recited in claim wherein said connecting means comprises cam means actuable to move said gates, and link means connecting said ejector means and said cam means and responsive to movement of said ejector means to actuate said cam means.

6. A vending machine as recited in claim 5 wherein said cam means comprises a pair of cam members, means mounting each of said cam members for reciprocal movement between a first position and a second position thereof, each of said gates having a respective cam surface means engagin a respective one of said cam members for moving said gate to its said closed position in response to movement of said cam member to its said first position and for moving said gate to its said open position in response to movement of said cam member to its said secend position, said link means including means connecting said ejector means and said cam members for moving simuita eously both of said cam members to said first positions thereof in response to movement of said ejector means in a direction away from said wall and for moving simultaneously both of said cam members to said second positions thereof in response to movement of said ejector means toward said wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,047,549 Mofiet Dec. 17, 1912 1,879,884 Rowe Sept. 27, 1932 1,926,847 Giies Sept. 12, 1933 2,241,489 Steiner May 13, 1941 2,546,690 Gabrielsen Mar. 27, 1951 2,634,185 Nilder Apr. 7, 1953 2,642,171 Hamann June 16, 1953 

